4th Quarter

I I write intermittently. Usually when I have the energy to write. I think often in the middle of the night-welcome to the Fourth Quarter. I have been thinking of one the transitions that happens along life's way but most acutely in the Fourth Quarter of life. We discover that we can't hold on to everything. When we have left work behind, with a mixture of relief and regret, we have to look and assess what's important and what matters. In this stage we are forced to deal with reality. And we are forced to deal with expectations. Reality is what we have. It can be measured in wealth. It can be measured in health. It can be measured in relationships. And I have stated them in the order to which our culture gives most attention. We are taught to accumulate wealth to ensure a good retirement. These plans go awry quite quickly, given the volatility in the stock market, the banking systems, and interest rates. I would suggest that wealth or lack of it should be placed further